Mother of nine, matriarch Ofelia Esparza learned how to make Día de los Muertos altars from her mother. Now, she’s passing on the craft to a new generation.
Day of the Dead
The annual Los Angeles Noche de Ofrenda in Grand Park—where Día de los Muertos blossomed into a national and international phenomenon— returns after a one-year hiatus.
After decades of dedicated work by Chicano artists in East L.A. to promote Día de los Muertos as a festival unique to their community, it is now a hyper-commercialized enterprise. Still, many are working to recenter the festival’s original intent of honoring the dead.
Living in the United States, I came to understand the ancient Mexican tradition of honoring the dead.
Día de los Muertos is for remembering those I miss and pondering how to keep them alive in the present moment.
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